Real estate, business service, cybersecurity companies lead list of Tampa-St. Pete firms in the 2019 Inc. 5000

Ninety-three companies based in the Tampa-St. Pete metro area are among the most successful companies in the United States.

The businesses were included on the 2019 Inc. 5000, a list of the nation’s fastest-growing firms compiled annually by Inc., a publication that focuses on small businesses and startups.

The list is based on percentage revenue growth from 2015 to 2018.

The top-ranked Tampa-St. Pete company on the 2019 list is The Welfont Companies in Tampa, which provides brokerage representation, marketing, underwriting, asset management, advisory and financial services for commercial real estate properties. Welfont, led by CEO Shawn Marcell, ranked No. 31 on the Inc. 5000, with three-year revenue growth of 6,871 percent and 2018 revenue of $20.4 million.

Ivan Anzulovich, CEO, Equity & Help

It’s the second time on the Inc. 5000 for Welfont, founded in 2014. The company ranked No. 16 last year, and was profiled by Inc. because it was the fastest growing real estate company on the 2018 list.

Equity & Help, a Clearwater-based business service firm, made its debut on the Inc. 5000 ranking No. 128, with 2018 revenue of $3.2 million and three-year growth of 2,729 percent.

The company was founded by Ivan Anzulovich, who is CEO, and connects real estate investors with the resources needed to purchase investment properties. It provides access to capital for those who do not qualify for traditional bank loans.

Stu Sjouwerman, CEO, KnowBe4

Cybersecurity training company KnowBe4 came in No. 161 on the list, with 2018 revenue of $72.3 million, and three-year growth of 2,370 percent.

KnowBe4 is the first  true local unicorn – a designation for a tech startup valued at $1 billion or more — after getting a $300 million investment in a funding round led by private equity giant KKR in June. Founder and CEO Stu Sjouwerman told the St. Pete Catalyst in June that he expects KnowBe4 to double in size by 2023.

It’s the fourth consecutive year KnowBe4 has been on the list.

Rounding out the top 10 local companies on the 2019 Inc. 5000 are:

ComplianceQuest, No. 163, provides a cloud-based electronic quality management system built on the Salesforce platform. The Tampa company had $2.5 million in 2018 revenue and three-year growth of 2,357 percent.

Tamimi Pharmacy, No. 167, a Tampa pharmacy specializing in oncology, hemophilia, and dermatology. With $15.5 million in 2018 revenue, the company had three-year growth of 2,314 percent.

Efficient Home Services of Florida, No. 179, a Tampa energy company that provides a range of services designed to increase energy efficiency to Florida home and property owners. 2018 revenue was $9.9 million, with three-year growth of 2,155 percent.

Meleeo, No. 291. The Odessa company supports clinical documentation performance importance and case management for health systems and hospitals. It’s grown 1,519 percent over three years and had 2018 revenue of $6.1 million.

Professional Hair Labs, No. 372, is a Zephyrhills company that manufactures and sells cosmetic bonding adhesives. 2018 revenue with $6.4 million, with 1,231 percent growth over three years.

Pitisci & Associates, No. 411, recruits professionals for contract and permanent placement in information technology sector positions. With $8.8 million in 2018 revenue, the Tampa company has grown 1,111 percent over three years.

Boomerang Transportation, No. 423, is a Tampa company that services the public and private sectors with freight transportation services and specializes in full truckload freight. It’s grown 1,086 percent over three years and had $6.9 million in 2018 revenue.

The highest-ranked St. Petersburg company was The Hoth, coming in at No. 971 on the list. The advertising and marketing firm performs search engine optimization for agencies, affiliates, and SEO consultants. It had $18.7 million in 2018 revenue and grew 437 percent over three years.

There are a total of 385 Florida companies on the list.

See the full 2019 Inc. 5000 list here.